Automatic piano.



R. W. SCOTT.

AUTOMATICPIANO, APPLICATION F|LED JAN.16. 1913.

1,233,132. Patented July 10, 1917.

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AUTOMATIC RIANO.

APPLICATION men JAN. 16. mm.

Patented July 10, 1917;

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ASSIGNOR TO NEW YORK ATTACI-IABLE PLAYER ACTION (70., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC PIANO.

Application filed January 16, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAY W. SooTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Pianos, of which the following is'a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to improvements in pianos and has particular reference to mechanism for simultaneously shifting the music roll supports, the pedals or foot boards and for opening and closing doors beneath the front of the piano.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation partly broken away and partly in section illustrating an application of my invention to the lower portion of an upright piano. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same on the line 22 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a guard or shield which may be secured beneath the key bottom of the piano.

4 is the key bottom from which depends the bracket 5 beneath which is mounted the rack 6. 7 is a slide within which a take up spool such as 8 is axially mounted, and 9 is an arm also pivotally mounted upon the slide 7 and carries at its upper extremity the music roll 10. 11 is a suitable pinion or gear which is secured to the arm 9 upon the slide 7 adapted to mesh with the rack 6. 12 is the lower portion of a guard or shield which is preferably secured to the upper portion of the slide 7 as shown, the hinged portion 13 being normally upright as shown and adapted to swing down by virtue of the spring 14, the operation of which is well known.

When the slide 7 is pushed leftwardly beneath the key bottom, the upwardly projecting portion 13 of the guard or shield being in contact with the frontedge of the key bottom, falls to a position substantially parallel with the slide 7 while the arm 9 swings upon its axial bearing until in the position shown in dotted outline; thus the entire slide and music rolls are easily pushed beneath the front of the piano out of the way. The construction and operation of this device is more fully described and illustrated in my co-pending application, Serial No. 742,414, filed January 16, 1913. When eX- tended in the position shown full outline Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 10, 1917.

Serial No. 742,413.

the upwardly projecting portion 13 of the guard or shield protects the front of the piano from the little brass rings which are usually found in the end of the sheet of perforated music. Thus when the sheet flies around rapidly, the wood work of the piano is protected from contact therewith.

A depending bracket such as 15 is suitably secured to the slide 7 and to this bracket is pivotally secured a link such as 16. A bell crank such as 17 is axially mounted and connected to the link 16 at one side and to the link 18 at the other side. The link 18 is in turn connected to the bell crank 19 which is secured to the shaft 32 carrying the links 2020. In the outward extremity of the links 2020 is mounted the shaft 21 upon which are mounted the spiral springs 22-22, the outer ends of which are secured to the links 2020 and the inner ends of which are secured to a centrally located member 23 to which may be secured the strap or chain 24. which is also secured at the back as shown at 25. Upon the shaft 21 are also mounted the links 26-26 which carry at the forward extremity the shaft 27 upon which is also mounted supports such as 28. The shaft 27 also serves as a bearing for the pedals or foot boards 2929, the upper portions of which are secured by the pins 8030 which also provide bearing for thelinks 3131, these being the usual links pivotally mounted on the moving portion of the main pneumatic or bellows of the piano.

As the slide 7 is pushed inwardly beneath the piano with its music roll supports and attachments, the bracket 25 and link 16 cause the bell cranks 17 and 19 connected by the rod 18 to rotate upon their bearings and operate the links 2020 which are th reby lifted and this movement is assisted by the spiral springs 2222 secured between the links 2020 and the member 23, thus assisting the tendency of the member 23 to rotate. As the left hand ends (looking at Fig. 1) of the links 2626 lift inwardly, the pedals or foot boards 2929 and the connecting attachments naturally follow until the whole apparatus assumes the position shown in dotted outline.

3333 are doors adapted to close in the lower part of the front of the piano and are suitably hinged as shown. To these doors are pivotally secured the links 34. 3e and to these links are also pivotally secured the links 3535 connected to the links 36-36 provided with projections 37-37 which are in the path of the links 31'3 1". Fromthis it will be seen that as the links 31-31 are about to enter the casing of the piano, they engage the projections 3737 of the links 3636 thus operating the links 3535" connected to the links 3 l34;- and cause the doors 3333 to close inwardly.

From this it will be seen that the entire set of operations are simultaneously and uniformly carried out each time the slide 7 isdrawn out or pushed in beneath the keyboard of thepiano.

38 is an apron provided with a lever 39- pivotally supported at 40 upon the slide 7 and at 10 upon, the bar 41. As; the slide 7 passes beneath the keyboard of the piano it carries the pivotal support 40 of the lever 39 causing the apron 38 to swing upwardly beneath the front of the key board, thus concealing the entire slide mechanism, its attachments and supports as shown in dotted outline.

Of course it will be readily understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the claims.

I claim:

1. In a piano, the combination with a horizontal key-bed, of a tracker slide horizontally slidable under the key-bed, pivoted pedals adapted to be folded back into inoperative position, yielding means for assisting in moving the pedals back when the tracker slide is moved rearwardly under the key-bed, and connections between the pedals, yielding means and slide arranged to causesaid pedals to assist'the motion by gravity as the tracker-slide is moved forwardly.

2. In a piano, the combination with a keybed, of a tracker slide horizontally movable under it, a horizontal shaft below the keybed, a pedal support pivoted to swing from a horizontal to a vertical position, a link connected with said support, an arm fixed on said shaft and connected with said link for swinging the pedal support, means connected with said tracker slide for turning said shaft, and a spring for assisting in retracting the slide and raising the pedal support.

3';- In a piano, the combination with a keybed, of a tracker bar horizontally slidable under the key-bed, a slide on which said tracker bar is mounted, guides on the bottom of the key-bed for guiding said slide, and a support for a winding roll pivotally carried by said slide, pedals adapted to be folded back into inoperative position, and means connected with the tracker slide for moving the pedals back when the tracker slide is moved baekwardly under the key-bed.

4. In a piano, the combination with a keybed and; a. depending frame-work, of pedals pivotally carried by said frame-work, a link connected with said pedals for operating them, a pair of rigidly connected arms adapted to oscillate about a horizontal axis, one being connected with said link, a second pair of rigidly connected arms adapted to oscillate about ahorizontal axis at a higher point on said frame work, means for connecting the first pair of arms with the second pair, and a tracker slide mounted under the key-bed and connected with the second pair of arms for operating it and the pedals.

5. In combination with piano player mechanism, a slide, music roll supports mounted to swing beneaththe piano upon said slide, when said slide is pushed in, a movable apron connected therewith, and means whereby when said slide ispushed in said apron will cover said slide.

6. In combination with piano player mechanism, a slide, music roll supports mounted to swing beneath the piano upon said slide, a door, pedal folding and door operating mechanism adapted to coact therewith, and means whereby when said slide is pushed in said pedals will be folded and said door closed. I

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RAY l/V. SCOTT.

lVitnesses:

LOUISE ENDERLE, THOMAS A. HILL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Batents,

Washington, D. 0. 

